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KPD e-News Release: Applications Being Accepted for K.P.D. Corrections Officer

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Kingsport Police Department

DalePhipps, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT: Applications Being Accepted for K.P.D. Corrections Officer
DATE: October 21, 2022
GENERAL NARRATIVE
The City of Kingsport Human Resources Department is currently accepting applications for the position of Corrections Officer with the Kingsport Police Department. Individuals 18 years of age or older who are interested in a criminal justice career are encouraged to apply.

All applications must be submitted online using the following link:

https://www.GovernmentJobs.com/Careers/Kingsport

Please note that there are separate job postings for male and female applicants, but BOTH are currently open.

In order to be considered for an interview, applications must be submitted by no later than Saturday, November 5, 2022.

The salary for a Kingsport Police Department Corrections Officer has recently been increased and starts at $15.37 per hour or $31,969 per year. City of Kingsport employee benefits include direct payroll deposit; paid vacation, holiday, and sick leave; employee life insurance; optional supplemental and dependent life insurance; long-term disability; health insurance; optional dental and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; and education tuition and fitness membership reimbursements.

The current retirement plan through December 31, 2022 is the Mission Square 401 fund with matching, plus an optional Mission Square 457 fund.

The new retirement plan that will go into effect on January 1, 2023 is the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) Hybrid Plan consisting of both a Defined Benefit (Pension) and a Defined Contribution (401), plus an optional 457 fund.

Anyone hired in 2022 will be enrolled in the current retirement plan. On January 1, 2023 those employees may then choose to either keep the current plan or transition to the new plan. Anyone hired in 2023 will be automatically enrolled in the new retirement plan.

For additional information regarding the application process, please call the City of Kingsport Human Resources Department at 423-229-9401. For additional information regarding the Corrections Officer position, please call the K.P.D. Jail Administrator at 423-229-9424.
RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

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Annual Snow Fighting Equipment Inspection

To ensure Kingsport is ready for the upcoming winter season, city employees plan to inspect every single piece of snow fighting equipment next week to make sure everything is in good working order.

Kingsport’s Streets & Sanitation Division will conduct its annual snow fighting equipment inspections the week of October 24-28. The inspections will take place at the Kingsport Public Works facility at 609 West Industry Dr.

Members of the media may attend the inspection session on October 28 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Kingsport has more than 50 pieces of equipment assigned for snow fighting duties this winter, including:

  • 30 pickup trucks with salt machines and plows
  • 11 single-axle dump trucks
  • 10 tandem-axle dump trucks
  • 3 tractors with plows
  • 3 salt brine trucks

The city currently has 5,000 tons of salt and 12,000 gallons of salt brine on hand in its three storage facilities. Last year, Kingsport mobilized for five snow events, using 1,546 tons of road salt and 33,600 gallons of salt brine.

For more information about the event please call 423-229-9451.

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From Montana to Tennessee – Two Bobcats’ Journey

Anyone who has recently visited the bobcat habitat at Bays Mountain Park can see changes are coming. The habitat is in the middle of several upgrades in order to give a warm welcome to two new bobcat kittens, arriving at the park soon.

The bobcat habitat has been empty since the previous inhabitant, Kirby, passed away earlier this year. Bays Mountain Park staff were deeply saddened to lose Kirby at age 18. After Kirby’s death, park staff began the search to replace him with a new bobcat ambassador.

“There was an outpouring of support from the community to acquire a new bobcat that could call the park home,” said Megan Krager, manager of Bays Mountain Park. “With that support, the park received many comments from visitors explaining that they were never able to view Kirby while he lived in the bobcat habitat.”

In order to address these comments, park staff focused on acquiring a young bobcat that could be socialized to people from a young age. By doing this, staff hoped the bobcat would be more visible in the habitat, enabling the community to see and learn even more.

With all of this in mind, park staff began a nationwide search to find a new bobcat. This involved calling various facilities across the country to locate a bobcat that would thrive at the park.

After months of searching, staff located two bobcat brothers at Triple D Game Farm in Montana. Park staff diligently reviewed all the relevant materials on Triple D and confirmed them to be licensed by the State of Montana, permitted by the United States Department of Agriculture, and accredited by the Zoological Association of America.

Breeding programs are an important part of any accredited zoo’s operation. Bays Mountain Park does not support breeding mills or unaccredited breeding programs that sell any wildlife to untrained members of the public.

Bays Mountain Park staff traveled to Kalispell, MT to personally obtain the bobcats and ensure all relevant regulations were followed. The bobcat kittens were examined by a veterinarian prior to leaving Montana to ensure they were healthy and will be reexamined upon their arrival in Tennessee.

“By the public being able to personally experience the amazing presence of these marvelous creatures, we hope these bobcats will be able to inspire a new generation of wildlife conservationists and animal enthusiasts,” said Krager. “New programs featuring the bobcats are being developed to further educate the public, fulfilling the core mission of Bays Mountain Park.”

Follow along on the Bays Mountain Park Facebook page and Instagram for updates on the bobcat brothers’ progress.

For more information about Bays Mountain Park please visit www.baysmountain.com.

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Ballad Health, City of Kingsport, ETSU, UT Health Sciences Center to partner on collaborative dental clinic

The Appalachian Highlands Dental Clinic, a cooperative venture serving Northeast Tennessee is one significant step closer to reality following a vote by the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA). The city voted to sign a memorandum of understanding with the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center (UTHSC), East Tennessee State University (ETSU), and Ballad Health that could see the new teaching clinic locate adjacent to the campus of Holston Valley Medical Center.

The MOU states the partners will collaboratively explore the establishment of a four-year full dental educational program, or potentially a dental school, within the corporate limits of the City of Kingsport and lays out how the partners will work together moving forward.

“The BMA vote tonight represents a commitment to the community in terms of both health care and the economy,” said City Manager Chris McCartt. “We’re pleased that all parties involved see the potential benefit of locating the clinic in Kingsport and we look forward to realizing the benefits this will provide the entire region.”

Plans call for the facility to be located at 111 West Sevier Avenue. The city would pay for the lease of the property. UT has agreed to determine if funds from the Tennessee Healthy Smiles initiative, which would cover some recurring costs, can be used to contribute to covering the lease.

Students in UT’s College of Dentistry and ETSU’s Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene program would do rotations in Advanced Education in General Dentistry. Students would gain experience in operative dentistry, oral surgery, urgent care, dental prophylaxis and limited removable prosthodontics. The program would be supported by residents from Ballad Health.

“This dovetails with East Tennessee State University’s mission to improve lives in the communities of the Appalachian Highlands,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “Every community in the region stands to benefit as these students graduate and become part of our dental workforce, providing much-needed care.”

Tennessee ranks 43rd of 50 states in access to dentists for citizens, according to US News & World Report. Statewide, Tennessee is about 800 dentists short of American Dental Association recommended levels. Compounding the problem is the fact that, according to the state of Tennessee’s Healthy Smiles Initiative, almost 1,300 of the state’s 3,247 practicing dentists will retire within the next decade.

“At a time when the number of dentists practicing in Tennessee is declining at an alarming rate, this partnership will increase the quality of dental care and the number of dentists in the Appalachian Highlands,” said Ballad Health Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Levine. “Ballad Health is proud to be a part of this historic venture.”

Dr. James Ragain, dean of the UTHSC College of Dentistry, said, “We are focused on increasing the dental workforce across Tennessee, but particularly in rural communities, where the need is greatest.” At present, five of eight counties in Northeast Tennessee have fewer than half the number of dentists recommended by the American Dental Association.

The UTHSC is eager to serve Northeast Tennessee, said Chancellor Dr. Peter Buckley. “The UTHSC currently operates more than 100 clinical and educational sites across the state. Our degree-granting programs have more than 3,300 primarily doctoral students enrolled. We look forward to working with our partners in the Appalachian Highlands to train the next generation of regional leaders in the health sciences.” Phase I start-up costs are estimated in the $1 million to $1.3 million range with build-out costs at $1 million to $3 million and around $800,000 in recurring costs. In addition to what each partner will bring to the venture, additional grant funding will be sought through the Appalachian Regional Commission. Other proposed partners will include BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Delta Dental, and Eastman. The First Tennessee Development District and Northeast Tennessee Regional Economic Hub are collaborating on the grant application process.

Contact: Scott Robertson

Northeast Tennessee Regional Hub

423.491.1809

scott@netnhub.com

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Kingsport saw strong growth, opportunities in 2022

Kingsport City Manager Chris McCartt and Mayor Pat Shull delivered their State of the City report Thursday morning to more than 200 city, county and state officials, business, and education and community leaders.

The 9th annual event was held at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center.

The State of the City is an annual report given by the mayor and city manager about the overall well-being of the Model City and includes information on finances, economic development efforts, demographics, recent accomplishments and future projects.

During Thursday’s event, Mayor Shull gave former Mayor Dennis Phillips a key to the city and praised him for his decades of community and volunteer service to the City of Kingsport.

“Many of the projects we’re seeing come to fruition today started under Mayor Phillips’ tenure as mayor,” Shull said. “I’d like to personally thank him for all he has done and continues to do for Kingsport.”

Kingsport saw strong growth in all sectors of its economy during the 2022 fiscal year. Revenues grew by nearly $7.25 million sales tax collections rose by $2.4 million and the city was able to return more than $4.2 million to the city’s rainy day fund.

“We’re making the right decisions, taking a conservative approach to budgeting and the result is the city’s financial health is strong and sound,” said McCartt.

Kingsport continues to see record growth in residential and commercial development. Nearly 2,000 families have moved to Kingsport from outside the region since 2020 and currently more than 2,500 housing units are in some stage of development.

In 2021, Kingsport saw letters of intent on 110,000 square feet of commercial space. This year the square footage has risen to more than 137,000 square feet of space or nearly a 25% increase.

A number of proud moments took place earlier this year in Kingsport such as opening the Scott Adams Memorial Skatepark, dedicating the new legacy trail at Bays Mountain Park, approving a developer for Brickyard Village and celebrating the Kingsport Carousel being named one of the nicest places in America by Reader’s Digest magazine.

Other projects wrapped up in 2022 include the Kingsport Fire Department’s fire training facility, pickleball courts at the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Center, athletic courts at the Lynn View Community Center, a new atrium at the Kingsport Renaissance Center and improvements at Allandale Mansion.

Finally, Kingsport officials expressed their excitement about projects either in the works or coming in the near future. These include a pump track at Brickyard Park, greenspace on Cement Hill, and the Main Street rebuild project, improvements to the Kingsport Public Library and Bays Mountain Park and an expansion of the Kingsport Justice Center.

“Kingsport has strong momentum and is moving forward on many fronts, especially with housing and quality of life issues,” McCartt said. “I believe our future definitely looks bright.”

Advanced Wire Wrapping/Jewelry Class

The Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts is offering a class in advanced wire wrapping this November. In this hands-on class, you will learn the advanced techniques to create beautiful wire wrap jewelry from master wire sculpture artist Russell Lawson.

Build upon your skill set from the introductory course and learn to make advanced level “fancy” jewelry, such as cabochon wraps, chainmail, crochet and macramé.

This four-hour course will teach you the finer techniques to create stunning, advanced level wire wrap pendants and cabochons.

Pre-requisite – the introduction to wire wrapping class or previous experience with jewelry making.

The fee for the instruction, supplies, knowledge and complete pendant is $95. All materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own tools.

The class is limited to five students and will be offered from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 11 in the Kingsport Renaissance Arts Center (2nd floor, Room #228).

Register online now at www.EngageKingsport.com or call 423-392-8414. Online sales will end 48 hours prior to the class. For more information about the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts, please visit www.EngageKingsport.com.

Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee